Chapter 24: Chapter 13: Truth Technique 2
"You’re... Vincent?" Jim asked.
"You finally recognize me." The man sighed. "Unfortunately, we no longer have the chance to catch up."
Jim heard the regret in his voice—the helplessness of a final, fatal parting. He stared directly into Vincent’s eyes, walking toward him step by step, questioning their past friendship with every move.
"You’re going to kill me?"
"He wouldn’t dare!"
Johnson tried to invoke the law to defend the right to live, shouting in anger, "I’ve never heard of any Witch Hunters! This is the senseless slaughter of innocents! You’re committing a crime!"
But Vincent’s reply was, "I have to kill you."
He paid Johnson no further mind.
’The closer the friend, the less they can be spared.’
’It’s the rule. Witch Hunters need to prove themselves, too.’
"I’m sorry, my friend."
Seeing Jim get closer and closer, the hand hidden behind his back beginning to flicker with fiery light, Vincent sighed softly and closed his eyes.
"BANG!"
A deafening gunshot rang out.
A bullet flew from the barrel of a follower’s gun next to Vincent, startling a flock of birds into flight.
The moment the gun fired, Jim subconsciously raised a hand to block it, but to no avail. The flame in his palm had already blazed into a raging fire, coalescing into a sphere. It was unclear if he meant to block the bullet or attack Vincent, but either way, he failed to do either.
The bullet passed through the flames and struck him squarely between the eyes.
In an instant, his head burst like a watermelon, exploding in a spray of crimson mist.
Vincent skillfully raised a hand, just in time to block the spattering blood.
Jim’s body fell. Only half of his face remained, and his one eye was wide open, as if even in death he couldn’t believe that his once-closest friend would actually have him shot.
Wilson was horrified. A terrible sense of foreboding and an intense feeling of crisis, mixed with the smell of blood, urged him to turn and flee without a moment’s hesitation.
’I have to escape!’
’Escape and tell Konina! Tell her to run, too!’
But how could a Wizard Apprentice who hadn’t even had the chance to learn an Escape Spell, with speed no different from an ordinary person, possibly outrun a bullet?
"Did I say you could leave?" Vincent asked lightly.
"BANG BANG BANG...!"
Several more gunshots rang out.
Brilliant, tragic blossoms of blood bloomed on Wilson’s back. He staggered and fell to the ground, his body twitching uncontrollably. He fought desperately to lift his head, trying to get up and keep running, but he could only raise his neck slightly. After struggling with all his might for a few seconds, he finally collapsed again, his eyes, which he refused to close in defiance, bloodshot as they stared back in the direction he had come from.
A deathly silence followed.
Jenny’s face was pale. Seeing the horrific state of Jim and Wilson, a powerful wave of nausea rose from her stomach to her throat, making her want to vomit. The hands gripping Johnson’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
Johnson was just as terrified by the scene. Only now, with two living people—people he had been cheerfully chatting with just minutes ago—lying dead before him with their heads blown apart, did he finally understand that Vincent hadn’t been joking... They were actually murderers!
Their brutal deaths also made him realize one fact—
Even with Magic Power, they were completely helpless against their opponents’ weapons.
"Wh-why...?" Johnson’s lips began to tremble.
’Why hunt Wizards?’
"You don’t need to know." Vincent didn’t bother to explain; there was no need. He casually wiped the bloodstains on his clothes and said, "You now have two choices."
"One, try to resist or run like they did, as long as you think you can outrun my gun."
"Two, give up, surrender without a fight, and come back with us obediently."
Vincent continued, "Although you’ll likely die later anyway, I personally suggest you choose the second option. At least you’ll live a little longer. What do you think?"
The contrast between the two deaths and Vincent’s casual, almost smiling tone was jarring. In Jenny’s eyes, he was like a heartless Demon. ’Jim was his friend!’ The suffocating pressure finally shattered Jenny’s defenses. She broke down, screaming, "No! I’m not a Wizard! You can’t take me!"
Johnson forced his weak legs to hold him up, his voice trembling as he said, "My girlfriend hasn’t awakened. Let her go."
"Oh?" Vincent looked at Jenny with a smirk. "Have you really not awakened?"
’People can lie, but the Smell Crow can’t.’
’All the Smell Crows’ feathers have changed color. That proves no one here is innocent.’
’Even the one with the lowest Magic Power among them has 1 Lak, meeting the standard for a Wizard.’
Jenny felt Vincent’s gaze was incredibly sharp, as if it could pierce right through her. The fear of death brought tears to her eyes. She sobbed, "I’m really not a Wizard... Please believe me, I’m really not..."
"Don’t cry. It’s useless. I’ve never believed in a woman’s tears. However..."
"Given how deep your feelings are for each other—you’ve allowed me to appreciate the beauty of love—I can make an exception and give you a chance."
"Johnson, don’t you want to protect her?"
Johnson clenched his fists. "Let her go! I’ll go with you!"
"No, it’s not you I want. It’s her." ’The more cowardly a person is, the easier they are to control.’ An interesting idea formed in Vincent’s mind. He looked at Jenny again, the corner of his mouth twisting into a mocking smile. He said to the girl, "Take out the gun at your waist. Use it to kill your boyfriend, and then I’ll believe you don’t have Magic Power."
As soon as he finished speaking, the color drained from both their faces.
This was more than just murder; it was the annihilation of the soul.
Tears streamed down Jenny’s face. Johnson could no longer hold back his fury and exploded, "Son of a bitch, don’t push us!"
